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match for an SUV; I was about to be pulverized.
    I wrenched the wheel to the right. My hyped-up reflexes overcompensated, and the car went bouncing and rattling off the road onto somebody’s lawn, taking out a row of ornamental bushes before it rolled to a stop.
    My hands shook so hard that I couldn’t open the door, and the stench hit me again. Finally I managed to get out of the car and promptly tripped over the sorry remains of a bush half-stuck in my wheel well.
    “Rocky!” I shrieked as my friend stumbled out of the SUV.
    She staggered across the street with a weird shuffling gait. Fear paralyzed me; I needed to breathe but couldn’t make my muscles respond. She lurched across the lawn.
    She was crying. And I was pretty sure it wasn’t because she’d almost run me over.
    I swallowed a big gulp of air, and then I was on my feet and running toward her. At first I thought I might pass out, but when I reached her, she collapsed on me. I staggered even though she weighed practically nothing.
    “Rocky! Are you okay?”
    She just cried harder, so I hugged her tight. Then I started searching for bite marks. I didn’t see any on her face or arms, so I ran my hands along her sides. I hoped she didn’t think I was feeling her up.
    “It’s Bryan,” she said, hiccupping. She pulled away, wiping her face with the back of her hand. “He’s been shot.”
    I had no idea what I’d been expecting her to say, but that wasn’t it.
    “What—how—is he okay?” I stammered.
    “I think so, but I haven’t talked to him. He’s in the base infirmary.”
    “What happened?”
    “He got shot in the butt. His mom called just a couple minutes ago.” Rocky blinked back tears. “I’m his girlfriend; how could he not tell me?”
    Rocky was my best friend, and she deserved my support at a time like this, but all I could think to say was “He’s got a bullet in his booty?”
    “Yeah.” She sniffled.
    I started to giggle hysterically. She looked offended for about a second and then joined in.
    Rocky got herself under control before I did. “His mom wants me to come over. Will you come with me?” she asked.
    I wiped my streaming eyes. “Of course, Rock. Anything you want.”
    “You’re awesome.” She looked at me closely. “Hey. Your lip is bleeding.”
    Now that I could unload the whole sordid mess, I realized I really didn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t even want to think about it. I wanted to forget it had ever happened and avoid Mike for eternity. So for the first time in my life, I lied to my best friend.
    I licked my lip, as if the injury was news to me. The scab had cracked open, probably during the accident. “I must have bit it when I went off the road.”
    Rocky looked concerned. “Can you get your car off the grass?”
    “One way to find out.”
    I tugged the bush from my wheel and gently set the remains down on the lawn before getting into the car. It was surprisingly easy to get back on the road again, although I ran over the rest of the bushes in the process. The house remained dark; no one came outside to yell at me for decimating their shrubbery. I should probably have left a note or something, but there wasn’t time.
    I followed Rocky to Bryan’s house. Now that I knew she was okay, I felt mostly calm. Part of me still wanted to stop and figure out what was wrong with Mike; I didn’t even know where he was, and that really worried me. But Rocky needed my help. Besides, not much would change in an hour.
    At least, that was what I kept telling myself.

ryan’s mom answered the door of their tiny little ranch house. She was all puffy-faced and blotchy, like she’d been crying for the last sixty hours or so over her son’s butt. This struck me as a slight overreaction.
    “Oh, Roxanne,” she gushed. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
    They hugged. I hovered in the doorway, shifting from foot to foot.
    “I hope it’s okay that I brought Kate,” Rocky said. “I thought she could be